The Halifax Bomber - With Jane Gulliford Lowes 

I remember one xmas in the late 60's my dad bought me a Halifax kit, my granny bought me the Lancaster and I also got Sunderland and Catalina flying boats off my uncles. The Halifax kit had yellow diagonal stripes on the square rudders I recall.

I went in Betty's bar in York a few years ago and was very moved looking at Betty's mirror which has 100's of air crew signatures on it. Most of the aircrew were from 6 group which flew Halifaxes. As 55,000 of the 125,000 bomber boys died, these signatures are a monument to these young men.

Hi Jane, my Uncle Malcolm Davis was a pilot on a Halifax in Squadron 578. He was on go flying night flying over Germany dropping bombs on railways & other important places. His plane was shot & he managed to get his plane & crew safely back with all his crew safe. He then carried on flying again on a different Halifax. Unfortunately he died a couple years after I was born with a brain haemorrhage. My Dad who couldn't fly during the War as he was deaf so he was s ground crew with Rolls Royce engines near Blackpool. My Uncle Malc was based at Burn. My Uncle has always been my hero as a child. Thank you Jane. Penny

hi Jane . I am building the Revell 1/72 Halifax b3 which was partly why I came across your video . It is much better build than the ancient Airfix kit . it also shares many of the older versions parts .they also did models of the earlier version . Just one thing I noticed . You did mention the wing extension on the B3 . However it was bigger than you thought being to 104 ft some 5ft more than earlier marks . This was a big improvement to the performance . the extra span giving it more lift . The sub 100ft wingspan was a ministry stipulation in force when early Stirlings and Halifaxes were designed . It was a major reason why they could not get to higher altitudes . PARTICULARLY the Stirling which was more than 10ft longer than Lancaster / Halifax . I did enjoy your video just thought you might like some info . I did check the wingspan in quite a few reference books . Of course Handley Page could have experimented with various wing extensions and might have even tried a 2 / 3ft one too .

What a wonderful video. Very interesting to say the least. My dad flew with the RCAF out of Tholthorpe with Snowy Owl squadron. He was awarded the DFC in Dec 1944. He was a very humble man. He never talked about the war. Thank you for keeping his memory alive.

Revell makes a beautiful Halifax model

Excellent talk. Your guest was very easy to listen to. Her enthusiasm about the subject was charming.

I was lucky enough to know a Canadian man who was the only survivor of a Halifax bomber crash over France in 1944 (December 3rd). He was 19 years old, a kid when it went down and if it wasn't for good luck and some real heroic local farmers who rescued him I wouldn't have had the chance to know his kids, grandkids and great grandkids so well. Great video

Great to see the Halifax get attention. My dad was a wireless opp/navigator and eventually a Met Air Observer with Coastal Command. They flew when “even the birds were walking” all weathers out of Tiree to collect data for forecasts. I only really found out about this at the end of his life. Luckily I found his log book but all his photos and medals went missing after his passing :(

Don’t forget the YAM Halifax at Elvington built for years,cobbled together from a variety of parts😀

My Dad,Flight Lieutenant Daniel N. Row,D.F.C. Wireless Operator/Air Gunner Royal Canadian Air Force J16030 1940-1945 7 Squadron,Royal Air Force Pathfinder My Dad flew in a Wellington,a Short Merlin and then the Lancaster during the war. Not sure if he ever flew in a Halifax. By the end of April 1944,Dad had flown on 50 operations into the heart of Germany and Italy. Dad was credited with two tours of duty. He was a Canadian in a crew of 7. The other 6 were from the UK. Dad flew with 6 different pilots during the war,unfortunately only 5 of them returned safely. My Dad never discussed the war years with me or my sisters. I can only assume that it would have brought back too many sad memories of the companions and friends that he lost during the war years. I do however have a wonderful book which was put together by my now friend,Michael Hamilton. My cousin Kris was interested in his uncle Dans war years and he asked Michael to see what he could find out about him. Being sort of a history buff,Michael looked into it and came up with a history of Dan. The book begins with his birth,his pre war upbringing,his war years and how Dan made a living after the war up until his death. Dads was laid to rest in a Cemetery in Smiths Falls,the town of his upbringing.

Before his health failed I went to Trenton to see the Halifax with Arthur Lobsinger and another friend, Ron Orr. Art was a Canadian, but had been a RG with 463 RAAF. He had done training operations in Wllingtons and Stirlings. All 3 planes used the same rear turret. Ron's father had been a RG on whitleys and Halifaxes. The crew had ditched their Whitley and walked through Spain. They were picked up in Gibraltar by the Hood shortly before it was destroyed in the Denmark Stait. Ron's dad was shot down a second time in the Halifax but survived because the pilot stayed with the plane allowing the crew to bail out. Ron's sister was named after the pilot. The pilot was not able to abandon the plane and died. Both Art and Ron's dad were friends with Wally Floody, who is d Famous for the great escape. Earl Porter worked at the glass plant with my father. He flew as a belly gunner or RG on Halifaxes and claimed an ME 410 or 210 when in the rear turret. 6 group Halifaxes had a .50 where the H2X was sometimes mounted. He was sometimes #8 on a crew working that position and other times in the rear turret. My uncles were merchant Sailors and one was killed on the Point Pleasant Park in 1945 by U510. The war was seldom discussed. And of course this just made me very curious about it. I had to read because asking just upset my father. His oldest brother was his world.

My cousin was a air gunner in Halifax JB874 on there return from a bombing raid on the night of 23/24 August 1943 they collided with Halifax BB373 and fell at Hull bridge Yorkshire ,my cousin Sgt.Jonny Greet was the only survivor of the two crews ,and the only reason he survived he swapped places with his crew mate that night and went in the tail gun

I came across the Halifax Bomber when I visited the Trenton, ON museum. Fell in love with the ship at first sight and was fortunate to have received a personal tour of the aircraft exterior from a knowledgeable staffer at the museum. Like Jane says - it is a massive piece of machinery. After touring the rest of the museum,, I purchased a model of the Halifax at the gift shop - that was in 2016 - still have the model, partially assembled, waiting for less hectic days to complete its construction. A truly impressive piece of aeronautical engineering history. And my heart bleeds for the many courageous men to whom I owe my freedom from tyranny through their unselfish service. God Bless them and keep their memories alive.

Absolutely amazing, my late father was an RAF man, he would have loved this.. Really great for your guest to talk about the Halifax.

Thank you so much! One of my relatives served on a Halifax as the bomb aimer. Sadly, he did not come home.

Young Lady, you've done your homework and you're well tuned in. My respects to you. The Handley Page Halifax ! Started as a 4 engined Bomber and you've covered its development and improvements etc.etc. Perhaps you would allow me to quote the account of Flight Sgt. Guy Edwards, 76 Squadron, Air gunner in Halifax LW696. Account of the operation against Nuremburgh, March 30/31st, 1944. 'About 00.15 we encountered extreme enemy fire from what we thought were 'scarecrow' flack. It was in fact the Jerry nightlights using 'Schrager musik' (Jazz music). This was a night fighter fitted with 2x 20cm upward firing cannon. The nightfighter formatted on the bomber from below and pumped cannon shells into its fuel tanks. 'We were flying along in the bomberstream. There were explosions to the left and to the right. We didn't know at the time that every explosion was an RAF Bomber blowing up. On this night the RAF lost 1 Bomber every 59 seconds. 'I looked out of my mid upper turret to see low vis tracer shells punching through the wings. I yelled to the Skipper that we'd been hit. Our Skipper shouted 'everyone get out now.' The aircraft at this moment, went into a vertical dive. I vactated my mid upper position and put on my parachute harness. There was an almighty explosion (probably the Blockbuster we were carrying) and I was propelled through an ever increasing gap in the fuselage as the aircraft ripped apart. I thought I was dead. Recovering my senses I became aware of the upward rush of air and concluded that I was in Freefall. I pulled my ripcord, my parachute deployed and about 5 seconds later I hit the ground. Everybody else in my crew were killed. Our Pilot was Squadron leader K.E.Clack DFM. He was 21 years old. He was a flight commander at 76 squadron, Holme-Upon-Spalding Moor, East Yorkshire. My Mum was married to the the W/op, AG. They're interned at Commonwealth graves cemetery, Koblinz. And here we are today having our Royal Air Force, Bomber Command memorial being vandalised by hooligans who hate the Country who brought them freedom.. Respects to you young lady.

Finally getting round to catch-up with this. Jane's book is a fantastic read, thoroughly recommended.

I found this talk fascinating. I only wish I had spoken to Jane whilst I was making my documentary about the fate of my fathers Halifax. The film is called "The Last Flight of Halifax L9561". I posted it on RU-vid last year.

Just found this broadcast. Will watch later. My father was a pilot of a Halifax bomber. Shot down on March 25 / 44 on Berlin raid. POW for 15 months. Only 3 of 7 crew survived flight.

Wow - the level of detail here really brings things home. Thanks Jane.

What a superb presentation. Really love the crew and crew position part: really brings it to life.

Thank you for this very impressive guide to the Halifax. The Airfix Halifax was still available in 1989, I'll explain how I know that. I already knew a bit about the Halifax in part because I was asked by the only survivor to paint 'The Loss of Halifax DK 170. DK 170 Halifax heavy bomber aircraft was lost on it's first mission being shot down by a German night fighter that had been radar directed to the interception point. My Painting was commissioned by the late Mr. John Loban eye witness, formerly Flight Sergeant and navigator of that aircraft. I built two models, rearched and John provided me with detailed information even down to the number of rounds the attacking Me 110 fired. You can if you wish to, read more about DK 170 on one of my two websites under 'aviation-aircraft/halifax-heavy-bomber ... The DK 170 Halifax wreck was identified in Belgium in 2017 . This year 2022 I've been approached a limited licence to reproduce my painting for a Belgium book about RAF & USAF aircraft that crashed in Belgium. As you say, beside the Lancaster, the Halifax is a bit like the Hurricane beside the Spitfire. Again, thank you for this remarkably informative and engaging programme.

I'd like to recommend Janes Book ''The Stars Above US''. as the best of it's kind, with very widely connected issues, making for a detailed and emotional experience, for the reader.

What a fantastic presentation, loved the personalization of the crew. Thanks to Jane and yourself putting this together.

Some story Jane...thank you for sharing it. Having visited the old RAF aerodrome at Melbourne it brings the station remains alive. Halifax aircrews were such brave men. Thank you again for raising the profile of the old Hallibags. Having a family link with Canada, I've had a particular interest in 6 Group and the Canadians that flew them. The Halifax re-build/restoration at Trenton is fantastic as you say .

Just came across your channel in the last couple of days. Have watched the one with you and Drach as well as this one. I see I will have many many hours listening to your channel. Well done. Thank you.

My dad was a flight engineer and flight Sargent. He was in operation Varsity and flew in OSE operatives in squadron 297 and 298 also 644

Well, that was an utterly excellent presentation on my favourite aircraft of all time. Superb. Well done. It looks like I'm buying her book, then.

Fantastic work done by JGL and her presentation clearly displays her personal connection with this area of study. I never grow tired of these detailed and attention to accuracy presentations particularly when someone has a real connection to a subject area. Paul, another gem of a find here my friend. You continue to seek out and find the hidden pieces of this incredible time in our history. Thanks to you and your colleagues for these presentations.

I have to agree with Jane about Elvington. The people there are superb. I got talking to one guy when I visited, mainly about Bomber Command. But we got on to my RAF career and I said I worked on major servicing of Buccaneers until RAF Abingdon shut. They had the last Buccaneer to be serviced at RAF Abingdon, but it was out the back, off display, as it hadn't been sorted for display. So he took me out there so I could walk around the last Buccaneer I worked on. Can't recommend Elvington highly enough.

Another brilliant show. Jane's passion and knowledge of this underrated aircraft is obvious. The fact that we again see the human factor in your shows is a great credit to you Paul and to Jane in this particular episode. Our brave bomber boys , our ground crews and the wonderful brave W.A.A.F's that supported them with everything they had. The Halifax is in many ways the Hurricane of the bomber planes. Often overlooked in favour of more famous contemporaries, like the Lancaster and the Spitfire. Great show.

I thoroughly recommend Jane's book - Above Us, The Stars. Particularly for anyone interested in the stories of the Pennicot crew members.

An old Halifax III (78 Sqdn) airman told me a story about his crews advanced training period when they were doing lots of flights over England. They made a point of flying up to and beside any Lancs they found. They would then wave a good bye at the Lanc as the pilot applied the throttles and left the slower Lanc behind in a trail of smoke.

Excellent talk in so many ways, the Halifax has ever since the war played as an understudy to the Lancaster. It became a fine aircraft and preformed wonderfully well.A fine tribute to this crew and to the men who flew the "Halibag".

My dad was a pilot in 6 Group / 408 Squadron. He flew one Op in Sept of 1942 to Bremen in a Hampdem. I had the impression that he was not too keen on the Hampden. In Oct he was at a Halifax Conversion Squadron at Rufforth. He moved to 408 Squadron at Leeming mid-Nov 1942 and flew his first mission early December to Turin as “second pilot”. There and back time was 9 hours and 25 minutes. Some of the Ops were to Lorient, mine laying around Frisian Islands and Skagerrak, Turin again, Berlin, Hamburg and others. He and my mother (RCAF Medical Corps) lived in Trenton during the Halifax restoration and dad was a ‘guide’ at the museum for a few years. A side note: my mother’s family were from Campbellford, ON and she lived in Trenton until nursing school. One of her sisters served in England as a nursing sister and her brother was a Mosquito pilot in 418 / City of Edmonton Squadron.

I really enjoyed this talk. Many thanks to the author for painting a very personal picture of this particular crew. My partner's dad was a Halifax pilot but unfortunately, I only got to know him in the last weeks of his life. Too late to ask him anything about his wartime experience.

One of my Fathers Brothers was killed in a Halifax bomber, We have a small street named with our surname. In commemoration of his service.

Just caught up with this, really informative as I knew it would be. Thanks Woody and Lydia.

Just a quick correction. One of the comments commented about Bomber command museum in Hamilton. Canadian warplane Heritage museum is in Hamilton and they have the Lancaster which is one of two flying in the world. The Halifax is in Trenton Ontario at the National Air Force museum of Canada. Trenton is about 1.5 hour drive east of Toronto. It is an amazing aircraft to see. I was lucky enough to see it at various stages of restoration.

Absolutely fantastic video, thank you so much. I simply stumbled across this and subscribed within a few minutes of watching. Very interesting personal history along with the history of this great aircraft.

What a brilliant presentation! Just fantastic to hear the back stories of the aircrew and ground crew. My Dad was on Lancasters but there are many parallels to draw. Lancaster or Halifax, Stirling or Wellington, Heroes all! There is an Airfix Halifax Mk III Paul and I'm pretty sure another company makes a Mark II!

Nice video and thank-you very much for this. Agree with the you the crew may well have been saved by Bomber Harris's order that Halifax not be used for primary targets unless it was max effort. I have a soft spot for Bomber Harris as well Jane, the Lancaster got more out of 4 Merlins than the Halifax did, more altitude, more range and more bomb load, Halifax losses were higher than Lancaster losses, and Bomber Harris didn't want to waste his crew's lives. Bomber Harris was a great man.

Wonderful and important stuff - bravo!

Impressive! I enjoyed this presentation very much.

Thank you for your book.

Outstanding show. It was great to learn about an underappreciated aircraft and their very brave crews.

Re Airfix not having a Halifax bomber model kit. I built an Airfix Halifax kit about 50 years ago. It was an outstanding model kit.

Another brilliant show. Thanks ++

An RCAF uncle was lost with 78 Sqdn RAF on his 22nd Op flying as the MUG Halifax LV905 'W for Willie'. Learned all I could about him & crew as well as the other 28 bomber crew and 6 nightfighter crew shot down the same night and corresponded with still living survivors or their family. Had the privilege of participating in the Dutch recovery of the a/c and 5 of the crew remains in 2005 and their reburial the following year beside my uncle and the RG who had been found the morning after the crash. Needless to say their ghosts haunted me often & I liked their very interesting company. Also had the privilege of meeting an RCAF 78 Sqdn crew member of 'Willies Revenge'

Another great and knowledgeable guest. The Handley-Page Halifax has always been in the shadow of the Avro Lancaster but it still made a large contribution to bomber command's efforts. Many, many years ago you could buy a Halifax B 3 model from Airfix.

Awesome

It was Sqn Ldr Leonard Cheshire (as was as CO of No 76 Sqn based at RAF Linton on Ouseh that took issue with the RAF and Air ministry with problems concerning the rudder having tested the aircraft himself to find out what the problem was ie rudder design. His pressure got the problem sorted

I understood they normally could do a 6 month instructor tour after tour one completion, but then normally had to do a second tour. Few of course survived to complete both tours.

Just tuned in....'From Hull, Hell and Halifax, my the Lord protect us'.

In fact it got so bad that when the combatants parents discovered that their boy(s) were assigned to a Halifax squadron, they did everything they could to have them transferred to Lancaster’s so they had a greater chance to complete their tour and survive the war. I use to build models of the Halifax and never once had a version of a inline engines. In closing, the lanc mk2 did have radial engines which I am trying to obtain more info on this lanc. Forever in His service

The Halifax found a niche in the electronic warfare units as they had the fuselage volume available for the equipment that the Lancaster couldn't fit.

My father was a pilot in Bomber Command during WW2, joining up at the start of the war. He switched from Wellingtons to the Halifax, ĺatterly serving at Fuĺl Sutton with 77 squadron. He said the Mark 3 was an excellent plane, vastly improved from the Mark 2 due to the transition from Rolls Royce Merlin engines to the much more powerful Bristol Hercules. There was also an improved tail plane design. The bomb loads of Halifax and Lancaster were actually much the same, but due to the main strut in the Halifax running across the bomb bay, as opposed to the Lancaster's which ran across the main fuselage, it couldn't carry the huge tallboy bomb. The advantage of that for the Halifax was that it was much easier for the crew to bale out if necessary.

Interesting show! Thank you!

Great show. Always had a soft spot for the Halifax but I never knew it started out as terrible as it did.

Thank you for the story of the halibag, my dad worked on them

I'd read a novel about a Halifax unit so I was aware of the aircraft but was unable to find a listing for it and don't remember the name or the author. Thank you for doing this. It was very interesting. .

Hull Hell and Halifax! I'm sure there used to be an Airfix model of a Halifax....pretty sure I made 1 as a kid.

There certainly is an Airfix Handley Page Halifax model. It's getting on a bit now having been released in the early 1960s but it is re-released from time to time so is not that rare and relatively easy to find. However, there is also a Matchbox kit which was released in 1980. Following Matchbox's demise, the kit was subsequently re-issued by Revell. In 2016 Revell released a brand new tooling of the Halifax in both Merlinn powered and Hercules powered versions. All these kits are in 1/72 scale. There is even a 1/48 kit from French company Fonderie Miniature. So, the Halifx has been covered reasonably well by a number of kit companies. Currently building the Matchbox kit.

My favourite aeroplanes so lovely & graceful

For those in the chat who were asking about Halifaxes and Lancasters having their turret armament upgraded to .50 calibre Brownings, the basic answer is yes some (but far from all) were up-gunned relatively late in the war. To my knowledge only mid-upper and tail turrets were converted to the heavier armament. As might be expected, with the increase in calibre, size and weight of the weapons used came a reduction in the number of guns that could be accommodated per turret, in this case from 4 to 2. Consequently the volume of fire that each turret could put out was much reduced both due to the lower cyclic rate of the larger machine gun and the fact that only half as many guns were firing. In quite a few cases only the mid-upper turret was converted and the tail turret was left with the original armament. I may be wrong, but my impression is that the tail turret was only up-gunned in cases where the late war Automatic Gun-Laying Turret (AGLT) radar had first been installed. This enabled engagement of night fighters based on precise radar detection and ranging beyond the night visual range of the tail gunner, in which case the heavier machine gun armament was preferable. Otherwise maintaining the 4 rifle calibre Brownings in the tail was the better option as in short range and duration engagements it is the rate and volume of fire that counts.

The Halifax shown at the beginning is one from 51 Squadron Snaith. Lost on the Nuremberg raid.

I have an uncle in the Royal Canadian Air Force, who flew as rear gunner on the Halifax and Lancaster. He said from his experience in the rear turret, the Halifax was much warmer. He also felt the Mk III could take more damage than the Lanc.

My father Flight Lieutenant Leo T Murphy flew Mark 3 out of 10 squadron in later 1943 until end of war in 1945. Reading his log is quite fascinating and not sure how these young men did it. God bless all crew members

Thanks folks, really interesting. After my folks had died I found a year of love letters from 1942 my mum had preserved from her young nursing days from a sergeant pilot NZAF Bruce Wisely. He spent months flying training in Moray and flew night raids in late 42 over North Italy. He crashed DT571 at Bardonneccia while trying to surmount a mountain peak and is now buried with the crew in Milan. I wonder if in slowing to climb, not being able to make the summit he peeledcaway, suffered rudder overbalance and had no air below to build speed. An Italian fighter pilot claimed he shot them down but it seems unlikely as the plane was intact- according to a lanc SL overtaking him above. I think you may be right about the Mk II design problems... His cartoons of the plane and the controls and his stories are hilarious.

Was there 20 some yrs ago they had just begun Friday then........now only the impressive Stirling is missing...love that behemoth.....said to b manoeuvrable as a wee fighter....with a otherworldly complicated fuel system apparently .Love the dinosurial looks...

How nice to see and hear a young women do interested and must have done time consuming research into this type of aircraft and crews,I was only a small boy during the war being only four when it start Ed,however my father was called up into the army,I did national service in the r.af.as a m.t.mechanic.We owe those bomber crews a debt we can never repay.

An old friend is making a 30-year old Airfix Halifax for a friend who's uncle died in one (hit by bombs from an aircraft above, I gather).

I have an uncle who did two full tours as a navigator on a Halifax. I remember him telling us about the incredible punishment the “Hali” would take and still keep flying.

Come to Canada and visit the Air Force Museum On CFB Trenton. See the restored Halifax...This was a project with the Halifax Aircraft Assoc, Halibag (UK), Rescue 57. Raised from a fiord 800ft deep. My dad was Mac McArthur 6th Group 432 sq. Eastmoor for the duration.

one other thing ; the Lancaster B2 had Hercules engines about 300 built and had a worse performance , than the Merlin versions . I believe somebody else mentioned the badly designed engine instalment / cowlings Handley Page adopted for the Merlin engines

Fantastic talk and many thanks for uploading found it very interesting although I was more than aware of the Halifax contribution to the war effort. Somehow I found it quite strange that the rivalry between Handley Page and Avro went on for years after the war with the better known Vulcan and the Victor and again the Vulcan seemed to get the best publicity although the Victor was a fine aircraft and probably the most scary looking aircraft ever built. Many thanks Jane.

I have an Airfix Halifax airplane model kit. I live in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Hands Across the Ocean, Hands Across the Skies!

i love this bomber

As they say 2nd to none the Halifax. My father was a flight Sargeant and pilot flying Halifax with RCAF 428 Squadron aka Ghost Squadron. His plane was hit by flack on a bombing mission over Hannover Sept 1943 and by a flack ship coming back over Holland. He managed to limp back to crash land at the US air force base at Parham East Anglia.

I have just found your channel and greatly enjoyed this video presentation. One observation, for some strange reason this crew had two Navigators? It also appears to have a third as the rear gunner Ken Cox is wearing an 'O' brevet on his battledress, the 'O' was replaced in 1942 by the 'N' Navigator brevet, although many Observers refused to change the brevet to the new Navigator version. As a re-enactor I have been privileged to have made up a crew for the Yorkshire Air Museum Halifax.

From Warplanes and Air Battles of World War II, my first book on the subject (I was 14). I always favored the Halifax. Of course between this and Famous Bombers (Green, W.) I only had a smattering of the knowledge gained here.

Great aircraft. AIRFIX produced a 1/72 scale kit of ''Friday the thirteenth '' in 1960. Happy childhood memories of AIRFIX. There should be more documentaries like this about the Halifax. Aircraft like the Stirling and other planes that played a crucial part in WW2.

My grandad flew the halifax, his logbook is fascinating, he flew for 51st squadron and is greatly missed.

1975, had a halifax 1/72 Liberator and a short sutherland

Jane: I have a soft spot for Hali’s. In fact they were the most important type of aircraft. And of them, E for Eve in 102 Sqn was the most important of them all. For a period her bomb Aimer was Peter. And she brought him home every night. Then the war finished and Peter met Pauline. They had a little girl. When that little girl grew up I was lucky enough to be the one she said yes to. And we’ve been together over 30 years now. Thank you Eve. Lest we forget 🇦🇺

Cool show about a forgotten hero

Still have my Airfix Halifax boxed along with a Stirling!

Revell has a kit for the Halifax Bomber. My uncle let me help him build it when I was 7. Such a nice-looking aircraft.

The Halifax certainly looks like a more modern aircraft, but it did not perform as well as the Lancaster, and Bomber Command was becoming an all-Lancaster force by the end of the war. The Halifax bomb bay was not as cavernous as the one on the Lancaster and its survivability was not as good as the Lancaster. One area where it was superior is in the ability of the crews to escape from the aircraft, due to the larger fuselage making escape easier. If records are examined, a greater percentage of men survived being shot down in a Halifax, than the Lancaster. I don't know if the Halifax had any armour for the fuel tanks, fuel lines and hydraulic lines, but hopefully they were better protected than in the death-trap Lancaster.

This story is putting some reasoning behind the words passed on about this type.

halifax never got any way near the range of the lanc or bomb load, responded to early she does mention why lanc was better as a bomber, great presentation by jane thoroughly enjoyed it

I've got all three heavy bombers 1/72 scale Airfix kits. Stirling, Halifax and Lancaster.

Ian Robinson and Rachael Semelyn large contribution to the birth of the YAM Halifax in the early 80’s😀

Great to see so many women getting involved in what has been a blokes thing!

A fitting tribute to the bravery of one crew that represented many! That the pilot prayed for those who would be bombed showed that many crews probably had similar difficulties. Woody, would it be possible if you could get somebody to do something on the light bomber crews ( Blenheim, Ventura and Boston, Mitchell) before the "takeover" by the Mossies? These missions have I feel all been forgotten. The famous Pathe news coverage on the attack on the Phillips works readily comes to mind.

Halibag B3...out of Lissett............158 Squadron...........NP-L.............Even made an Aifix Kit of one...............

G'Day ,Airfix and Revel ,had kits, I had the Airfix in the early 60s

Most illuminating ; and such a surprise , to see an attractive young woman, so VERY emmersed in every aspect of this great Bomber. My half brother Kenneth Croft, was killed on the very last 'Heavy Bomber' raid, of WW2, on Germany, which is very rarely mentioned, by anyone. I refer to the 100 group planned attack on Kiel, North Germany, on the 2/3 May, 1945. Two Halifax, Mk 3's, of 199 Sqdn , out of North Creake, collided, after, it is claimed, one had been fired on by a JU88 night fighter, damaging flight controls, which then collided with the other. Both planes had EIGHTcrew member's ( special ops) but only 3 survived in total. Ken had been with a RAAF 460 squadron, for 3 yrs , with Lancaster's, prior to his switch to Halifax Mk 3's. in august 1944, with 199 sqdn. Can you add any new information to this event, Jane?

The engine positions of the Merlin were wrong because HP would not wait for the correct nacelle from Rolls Royce but went with their own design and as a result they got prop wash which affected the lift efficiency of the wing. It also made the exhaust glow more visible. When it got the Bristol Hercules this problem was resolved and it transformed the performance in terms of speed, range and ceiling. It could outclimb a Lancaster and there is a reliable report from a Hali pilot that they would try and rile Lancaster crews when over home airspace by flying alongside and then feathering one engine. They were still able to keep up without any trouble. My dad was a pilot with 624 Special Ops that flew the the modified Merlin engined versions. The crew thought it was a rugged aircraft that had to withstood some pretty severe manoeuvring at low level ( 300ft) on a regular basis because they operated in both the Pyrenees and the Alps. Highly proficient crews that night after night would navigate to remote fields to find the reception party waiting for their load of supplies and agents. They rarely failed to find them. Bomber Harris initially wouldn't sanction more aircraft to be allotted to this roll because he couldn't believe that they were able to do do this given the problems his Bomber Command crews were having locating their targets. Only when he was given incontrovertible proof did he release the necessary aircraft for SOE use.